1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to lawn and garden sprayers.
2. Background of Art
Lawn or garden sprayers use pressure to apply liquid fertilizers, pesticides, or other chemicals. A recent development is to utilize a battery-powered electric motor in the sprayer wand to provide the spraying pressure, rather than hand pumping.
For present-day sprayers packaged at point of sale, the wand and its hose are stored separately from the sealed container and held in a separate “holster” carry device that is attached to the container, with the wand pointing up. Once the wand and hose are unpackaged and assembled for use, the holster may then be used for continued carry and storage of the wand. The holster uses tabs and knobs to reattach the wand, which is cumbersome for the user, and as a result does not hold the wand and hose as securely as originally packaged.
The hose is typically connected to the container by sliding the hose end plug onto the horizontally positioned spout on the container cap. In this position the spout mechanism is designed such that the container is sealed. To use the sprayer, the spout must be rotated from the horizontal to the vertical position. With the spout in the up position, the fluid circuit to the wand is opened. Simultaneously, a small open port in the cap under the spout is exposed which permits air to enter the container; without this air port the fluid would not flow. For storage, the spout can be repositioned horizontally, in order for the spout mechanism to seal the container.
For contemporary battery-powered wand sprayers, the batteries, electric motor, pump mechanism, and related electrical and fluid circuits are housed in the wand handle. A user-operated trigger functions to actuate the motor and to simultaneously allow fluid to flow to the pump. Fluid flow to the pump is controlled by a valve body that is separate from the motor housing. Having the valve body separate from the motor housing adds complexity to the design.
3. Objects and Advantages
It is a principal object and advantage of the present invention to provide a sprayer that enables improved ease of operation and increased functional efficiency.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will in part appear hereinafter and in part be obvious.